Business writing is often frustrating to read. The ideas are often disjointed, and the writing is often overly complex. Good business ideas are often let down by common business writing mistakes.
So how do you avoid these mistakes and produce a good piece of writing? Read on to find out more.
1. Using Buzz Words
Sadly, business writing style often involves a lot of “buzz words.” These should be avoided as they make your writing sound cliched. Often buzz words sound impressive but don’t actually mean much.
If you’re trying to write evergreen content, there’s nothing worse than using flavor-of-the-month buzzwords. Eventually, buzzwords become so overused that no one can take them seriously anymore.
2. Using Complex Sentences
Business writing should be kept as simple as possible. One of the best ways to keep things simple when writing different business documents is to avoid complex sentences. If your writing is full of long sentences, it becomes difficult for the reader.
Of course, if you’re explaining a complicated idea, you might need to use a longer sentence. The trick is to make sure your sentences are as short as possible without losing out on any meaning.
3. Not Having An Executive Summary
Businesspeople are very busy. That means many of them won’t have the time to read a full document that you put out. This is why having an executive summary in business writing is vital.
An executive summary involves summing up all of your main points in just a few pages. If you find it difficult to write a suitably concise executive summary, it suggests that your ideas might be too complicated.
Having a badly written executive summary can be just as bad as not having one at all. Make sure that your summary eloquently describes all your main points.
4. Too Much Text
Another common mistake is using too much text. Good business writing should be easy on the eyes. You can achieve this by splitting up the text with graphics and images.
Of course, you should also be selective when choosing visuals for your work. Choosing the wrong graphics can be even more distracting than having none at all.
If you do use a lot of pictures in your work, you might also consider having a print-friendly version of the document.
5. Using Excessively Complex Language
There’s nothing worse than writing where the author wants to show off how many words they know. Many writers have the mistaken belief that writing that makes you reach for the dictionary is somehow more “high-class” and intellectual.
The truth is that this sort of writing is just frustrating to read. Never use a complex or jargon word if there is a simpler alternative available.
6. Lack of Planning
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in business writing is a lack of planning. If you start writing without a proper plan, your work may seem rough and disjointed.
You might consider working with a business writing service such as a BAS service to make sure your writing is coherent.
Avoid These Business Writing Mistakes and Make an Impression
If you avoid these business writing mistakes, you can certainly produce a document that will make an impression. The key is to plan ahead and keep things simple.
If you want to learn more about other business-related topics, check out our other blog posts.
